Aquilina was born in the Palestinian
town of Byblus of honorable Christian parents. At age seven, little
Aquilina was already completely versed in the true Christian life and
at age ten she was so filled with divine understanding and the grace
of the Holy Spirit that she, with great power and zealousness,
preached Christ to her female companions. When Diocletian's
persecution began, someone accused Aquilina before Volusian, the
imperial deputy, who was more like a beast than a man. At first,
Volusian ordered that Aquilina be flogged and after that, a red hot
rod be pierced through her ears and brain. Until the last moment, the
virgin Aquilina freely and openly confessed Christ the Lord and when
her brain and blood began to flow from her head, she fell as though
dead. The deputy, thinking Aquilina was indeed dead, ordered her body
to be carried outside the city and thrown upon a dung heap for the
dogs to consume. But, an angel of God appeared to her at night and
said to her: "Arise, and be whole!" And the virgin arose
and was whole and for a long time she offered up praise of
thanksgiving to God imploring Him not to deprive her to fulfill her
martyr's mortification. A voice from heaven was heard: "Go, it
will be to you as you pray" and Aquilina set out for the town.
The gates of the town opened on their own accord before her and she
entered like a spirit into the palace of the deputy and appeared
before his bed. The deputy was seized with unspeakable fear, seeing
the virgin alive whom he thought was dead. The following day,
according to his command, the executioners led Aquilina out to behead
her. Before her beheading, the virgin Aquilina prayed to God on her
knees and gave up her soul. The executioner beheaded her lifeless
head. Her relics gave healing to many of the sick. Aquilina was
twelve years old when she suffered for the Lord: suffered and crowned
with the martyr's wreath in the year 293 A.D.
Triphyllius was a disciple of St.
Spiridon and later his worker on the island of Cyprus. He was a
merciful man, pure in thought and chaste throughout his life, "a
living fountain of tears" and a great ascetic. He governed
Christ's flock well and dying, received the wreath among the great
hierarchs in the heavens. He died peacefully in the year 370 A.D.
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